Medical Assistant (Certified)
Salary

Women account for the majority of Certified Medical Assistants in the United States. The entire group has an average salary of $13.48 per hour. Final cash compensation to Certified Medical Assistants varies from around $21K to approximately $38K; choice pay grades include potential for bonuses and profit sharing as high as $1K and $5K, respectively. Earnings for this group are mostly affected by geography, followed by the specific employer and experience level. Some workers in this field — slightly less than a third — are not awarded benefits. Medical coverage is reported by a majority and dental plans are enjoyed by close to one-half. Work is enjoyable for Certified Medical Assistants, who typically claim high levels of job satisfaction. The data for this snapshot was collected from individuals who took PayScale's salary survey.

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

Job Description for Medical Assistant (Certified)

Certified medical assistants most often work in a doctor's office, a nursing care center, or another medical facility such as a hospital, nursing home, or pharmacy. Their responsibilities include providing continuing patient care, working with doctors and nurses to meet the needs of patents, and performing administrative and clerical duties in an office environment. They greet and assist patients with paperwork, show patients to their exam rooms, and take patients' vitals and drawing blood. Their typical work week usually includes a full-time schedule during regular business hours, although they may be hired for night shifts.

Certified medical assistants must have a high-school diploma or GED, as well as an associate's degree in medical assisting or equivalent training/job experience (usually two to five years), and certification by the American Association of Medical Assistants. Certified medical assistants also usually possess at least a year of experience in the field or a related profession. They must also have CPR certification and experience working within HIPAA and other patient privacy laws. Other traits a medical assistant must possess include attention to detail, computer competency, and good interpersonal communication skills.

Medical Assistant (Certified) Tasks

Prepare and administer medications as directed by a physician.

Interview and record patients' medical information and measure their vital signs, weight, and height.

Collect, prepare and log blood, tissue or other laboratory specimens.

Show patients to examination rooms and prepare them for the physician.

Common Career Paths for Medical Assistant (Certified)

Plan your career path. Drag job titles to investigate a particular path and click on a link to see where particular career can lead.

While Certified Medical Assistants do not often become Physician Assistants, the job pays $82K per year on average. Certified Medical Assistants moving up in their careers tend to step into positions as Registered Nurses or Licensed Practical Nurses. The median paychecks in those roles are $26K higher and $8K higher, respectively.

Medical Assistant Job Listings

Search for more jobs:

Popular Employer Salaries for Medical Assistant (Certified)

Although Internal Medicine Group leads the field in pay with a median salary of $34K, employees there receive a wide spread of salaries, from $21K on the low end all the way up to $39K at the top.

Popular Skills for Medical Assistant (Certified)

This chart shows the most popular skills for this job and what effect each skill has on pay.

Certified Medical Assistants seem to wield many skills on the job. Most notably, skills in Obstetrics/Gynecology, Wound Care, Family Practice/Pediatrics, and Procedures are correlated to pay that is above average, with boosts in pay of 4 percent. Those educated in Electronic Medical Records tend to be well versed in Procedures and Scheduling.

Pay by Experience Level for Medical Assistant (Certified)

Median of all compensation (including tips, bonus, and overtime) by years of experience.

Certified Medical Assistants do not generally earn higher incomes from more experience in the field. The average beginner in this position makes around $27K, but folks who have been around for five to 10 years see a markedly higher median salary of $30K. Certified Medical Assistants see a median salary of $33K after reaching one to two decades on the job. Certified Medical Assistants who surpass 20 years on the job report pay that isn't as high as one would expect; the median compensation for this crowd sits around $34K.

Pay Difference by Location

Surpassing the national average by 31 percent, Certified Medical Assistants in Seattle receive some of the highest pay in the country. Certified Medical Assistants can also look forward to large paychecks in cities like New York (+20 percent), Portland (+17 percent), Chicago (+14 percent), and Philadelphia (+8 percent). The smallest paychecks in the market, 11 percent south of the national average, can be found in San Antonio. Employers also pay below the national average in Memphis (9 percent lower) and Orlando (8 percent lower).